Family Science Night

By
Ann Preidis
Grand Valley State University
Spr/Summer 2018
Ann Preidis Science Night
EDI 631 Summer 2018

Station 1: Chugga Chugga Zoom!

Lesson:​ K-PS2-1
Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different
directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.

Objective:
Students will design and conduct an investigation to find out how pushing and pulling trains in
different directions or weights will affect the motion of the trains.

Description:
Students will have several trains that can be attached by magnet. There will be two
pre-assembled train tracks on site. The students must first brainstorm what might happen to a
train during different simulations. The students will use wood ramps with high and low inclines
as well as weighted (multiple train cars) and non-weighted trains (single train cars).

DCI Across Grade Levels:

3.PSS2.A; 3.PS2.B

Common Core Connections

ELA/Literacy: W.K.7
Math: MP.2; K.MD.A.1; K.MD.A.2

Materials and Set-Up

Materials Quantity Price Location

Table 1 Free School

Wooden train tracks 20 pieces Free Home

Train cars 5-7 Free Home

Wooden Train 12 Pieces Free Home

Instructions 2 Free Home

Stickers 100 $1 Dollar Tree

Set Up Instructions:

See photos below.

Students and families will choose one of the two train tracks or the train to investigate forces.

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EDI 631 Summer 2018

Background Information:

Friction is an invisible force that causes things to slow down or speed up. Friction also increases
heat energy. Gravity is one type of force. Gravity pulls objects toward the earth. When
something is pushed, gravity pulls the object toward the earth. Pressure is a second type of
force. When pressure is applied to an object, the object's’ motion increases. The more pressure
that is applied, the greater the speed of motion or action. The greater the push or pull, the faster
the motion.

Note​: Kindergarten students are limited to knowing that a force is a push or pull that moves an
object.

Bibliography:

Facts About Force: Push and Pull. (2016, November 18). Retrieved from
http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-force-push-and-pull/

Force. (2018, June 13). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force

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Ann Preidis Science Night
EDI 631 Summer 2018

Station 2: A Sunny Dilemma

Lesson:​ K-PS3-2
Use tools and materials to design and build a structure that will reduce the warming effect of
sunlight on an area.

Objective:
Students will design and conduct an investigation to build an object that will block the sun’s
rays.

Description:
The students will brainstorm, illustrate, and build an object that will block the sun and protect an
area from its warming effects by using supplied material.

DCI Across Grade Levels and Common Core Connections:

Connections to other DCIs in kindergarten:

K.ETS1.A​ (K-PS3-2); ​K.ETS1.B​ (K-PS3-2)
Articulation of DCIs across grade-levels:
1.PS4.B​ (K-PS3-1),(K-PS3-2); ​2.ETS1.B​ (K-PS3-2); ​3.ESS2.D​ (K-PS3-1); ​4.ETS1.A​ (K-PS3-2)
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy -
W.K.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite
author and express opinions about them). (K-PS3-1),​(K-PS3-2)
Mathematics -
K.MD.A.2 Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has
“more of”/”less of” the attribute, and describe the difference. (K-PS3-1),(K-PS3-2)

Materials and Set-Up:

Materials Quantity Price Location

Table 1 Free School

Lamp 2 Free Home

Thermometers 2 $5 Wal-Mart/Meijer

Popsicle sticks 100 Free Home

Plastic lids 5 Free Home

Masking tape 2 Rolls $5 Hardware Store

Construction paper 100 sheets $5 Wal-Mart/Meijer

Pipe cleaners 50 $2 Wal-Mart/Meijer

Toy Dog 2 Free Home

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Ann Preidis Science Night
EDI 631 Summer 2018

Stickers 100 $1 Dollar Tree

Background Information:

The sun is a star and is a source of heat and light in our solar system. The sun is very hot and is
made of gas. The sun’s radiation is given off as light when it reaches earth, which takes about 8
minutes. The sun is responsible for gravity on earth as well as the weather. The earth and other
planets orbit the sun.

Bibliography:

Aguilar, D. A. (2014, March 31). Sun - Get the facts. Retrieved from
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/space/sun/#sun.jpg

Sun. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.planetsforkids.org/star-sun.html

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EDI 631 Summer 2018

Sun. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2018, from http://www.planetsforkids.org/star-sun.html

Station 3: Calling All Scientists!

Lesson: 1-PS4-4
Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the
problem of communicating over a distance.

Objective:
Students will brainstorm, illustrate, and build a device that can be used to make sound travel
from one place to another.

Extension:
Apply knowledge to create a communication code.

Description:
The students will have many options to choose supplies. The students must first present an
illustration to show what they will build. Then they will build a device that can be used to find
their friend who is lost in the woods.

DCI Across Grade Levels and Common Core Connections:

Connections to other DCIs in first grade: N/A

Articulation of DCIs across grade-levels:
K.ETS1.A​ ; ​2.ETS1.B​ ; ​4.PS4.B​ ; ​4.PS4.C
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy —
W.1.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of “how-to” books
on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions). (1-PS4-4)
Mathematics —
MP.5 Use appropriate tools strategically. ​(1-PS4-4)
1.MD.A.1 Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third
object. ​(1-PS4-4)
1.MD.A.2 Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by layering multiple copies
of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an
object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps. Limit to
contexts where the object being measured is spanned by a whole number of length units with
no gaps or overlaps. ​(1-PS4-4)

Materials and Set-Up

Materials Quantity Price Location

Styrafoam cups 100 $5 Wal-Mart/Meijer

Yarn 2 Skeins $3 Wal-Mart/Meijer

Masking tape 2 Rolls $5 Hardware Store

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Ann Preidis Science Night
EDI 631 Summer 2018

Construction paper 50 sheets $3 Wal-Mart/Meijer

Stickers 100 $1 Dollar Tree

Shown above are previous student examples. ​There is no specific way to make this device as
long as it works.

Background Information:

Sound requires a medium to travel. When a sound is made, vibrations occur. High pitch sounds
have stronger, more frequent vibrations. Lower pitch sounds have slower, weaker vibrations.
Sounds can also travel faster or slower through different mediums like air, water, or even trees.

Sound waves release an energy that moves its molecules across a distance. It needs a
medium to travel from one place to another. Where there is no medium, there is no sound (ie.
outer-space). There are three mediums: air, water, and solids. Because solids have molecules
tightly packed together, sound travels the fastest through it. There are less molecules in water,
and even less in air, so sound travels slower in those mediums. When a sound wave hits a
receiving, solid object it either will ​reflect​ (or bounce off of it) or it will be absorbed (​transmit
through it). (NASA Online, 2018). Vibrations from the eardrum allow us to hear with our ears.
(Trumbauer, 1997)

Fun fact: Space is a vacuum, there is no matter for sound to travel!

Bibliography:

How Sound Travels | NASA Online. (2018, March 13). Retrieved May 16, 2018, from
https://knowitall.org/interactive/how-sound-travels-nasa-online

Physics for Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved from ​https://www.ducksters.com/science/sound101.php

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Trumbauer, L., & Evento, S. (1997). ​Sound​. New York: Newbridge Educational.

Station 4: Model Mania

Lesson:​ 2-ESS2-2
Develop a model to represent the state of Michigan and the Great Lakes, or a more local land
area and water body.

Objective:
The objective of this station is for students for students to observe, analyze, and create their
own 3D model of Michigan and the Great Lakes using a variety of tools such as playdough,
crayons, construction paper, etc.

Description​:
Students will use maps to create a 3D representation of Michigan and the Lakes.

DCI Across Grade Levels and Common Core Connections:

Connections to other DCIs in second grade: N/A

Articulation of DCIs across grade-bands:
4.ESS2.B​ ; ​5.ESS2.C
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy —
SL.2.5 Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add drawings or other visual displays to stories or
recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings. ​(2-ESS2-2)
Mathematics —
MP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively. ​(2-ESS2-2)
MP.4 Model with mathematics. ​(2-ESS2-2)
2.NBT.A.3 Read and write numbers to 1000 using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form.
(2-ESS2-2)

Materials and Set-Up

Materials Quantity Price Location

MI Map Mats 4 Free GVSU MCL

Playdough 4 containers Free Home

Paper plates 10 $1 General Store

Ziplock Baggies 100 $5 General Store

Glue Sticks 5 $3 General Store

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Ann Preidis Science Night
EDI 631 Summer 2018

Construction paper 2-100 sheet pads $5 General Store

Scissors 5 $5 General Store

These are the placemats students can use as a reference to create their models.

Background Information:

Michigan has five great lakes, created by glaciers many years ago. Michigan has many lakes,
rivers, and ponds throughout the state. Michigan is rich in agriculture, with many rolling hills, flat
lands, and some mountains in the northernmost regions.

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Ann Preidis Science Night
EDI 631 Summer 2018

Station 5: Escape the Troll

Lesson:​ 3-5-ETS1-2
Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely
to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Objective:
The students will observe, plan, and construct a bridge that is tall enough to fit a troll underneath
the bridge, and can hold three goats simultaneously.

Description:
Using the Three Billy Goats Gruff kit, students will brainstorm, illustrate several concepts, then
implement their designs to solve a problem. They should tell why their plan will work, test it, and
tell if it did or did not work and why.

DCI Across Grade Levels and Common Core Connections:

Connections to 3-5-ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions Problems include:

Fourth Grade:​ ​4-ESS3-2
Articulation of DCIs across grade-levels:
K-2.ETS1.A​ ; ​K-2.ETS1.B​ ; ​K-2.ETS1.C​ ; ​MS.ETS1.B​ ; ​MS.ETS1.C
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy -
RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing
inferences from the text. ​(3-5-ETS1-2)
RI.5.1 Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an
answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently. ​(3-5-ETS1-2)
RI.5.9 Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the
subject knowledgeably. (3-5-ETS1-2)
Mathematics -
MP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively. ​(3-5-ETS1-2)
MP.4 Model with mathematics. ​(3-5-ETS1-2)
MP.5 Use appropriate tools strategically. ​(3-5-ETS1-2)
3-5.OA Operations and Algebraic Thinking ​(3-ETS1-2)

Materials and Set-Up

Materials Quantity Price Location

Billy Goats Gruff 1 Kit Free GVSU CML

STEM Kit

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EDI 631 Summer 2018

Background Information:

Students will gain hands on experience brainstorming, designing, and constructing a bridge to help the
goats cross safely. Students will need to use problem solving skills and creativity. Once they complete
one bridge, they can be challenged to create a second bridge that is different from the first.

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